Ardmore, a happening kind of place!

Saturday

Mar 16, 2013 at 3:22 PMApr 7, 2013 at 12:41 PM

Ardmore is a happening kind of place!

Kristi Cox

My husband and I have spent the last three days living a Watercolor, Florida kind of lifestyle. Each eve we have brought out our bikes, turned our little lights on at dusk, and wearing casual "eve on the coast" attire, we have headed out, meandering the streets of downtown. And yes, we even lost a camera. And today, I found it, recovered by the wonderful staff of our local brewhouse, Red Dirt. And ofcourse, happy to have found my camera, I had to eat those Chicken skewers again! But I got to thinking, maybe I will search out different locations periodically in other neighborhoods, and yep, probably going to ride our bikes to them! I know East Side Cafe has a gyro that my friend and I sometimes just have to have! So let me know some of your favorite places to go!

Now, for those who didn't make it out for Taste of Ardmore, whether you were in the partitioned area or not, the music was good, and the families, couples, and friends walking about seemed to be enjoying both the weather and the delight of an evening out! Our community food culture was out in force, each giving their own flavor and ambience to the night! And later on, Bar 115 kept it cool and casual with a Frank Sinatra air as we caught up with friends we had not seen in a bit. But it was later, riding home, that I realized just how much these events, these local business owners, these committed folks who not only have a dream about a revitalized downtown and community culture that extends from the heart of our city towards each neighborhood, helping identities become more developed, but also the willingness to back it up with real work, real volunteer hours, real enthusiasm, and real risk. When I look back at cities that captured my imagination, thrilled me with hours of beauty and culture, tantalized me with culinary seduction, and awed me with inventive and honored architecture in its buildings, these towns are always those that had a balance of yes, some box stores of variety (i.e. Lowe's, Ross, Christie's Toy Box) but also more intriguing was the strong commitment to creating an environment in their downtown, developing a walking community of offerings. Downtown brings us together. Imagine a park closer to the tracks with a resturaunt where patrons could linger watching trains while chatting, maybe an overlook to view the trains from above and safely cross the tracks at anytime. Imagine a jazz club on east main and further down a walking path along the rock lined creek that curves about a block and a half up east main. I can see park lights lining this walk, connecting a community and creating a safe path for people to enjoy various parts of our town. Imagine winter time on the Viaduct. I lived on G. St N.E. as a child, in a lovely rock house on the corner. I had a friend, Daphne, who lived across the street. And when wintertime came, we drug out our trash can metal lids, climbed that bridge feeling as if we were on Mt. Everest, and saying a brief prayer to the God of Children, we held on for dear life and raced down, running into our parents at the bottom who kept watch for any car drivers not paying attention.

I hope our community keeps this passion alive and supports the attempts at making Ardmore an increasingly cultural, inclusive, and beautifully renovated community.

And I hope you each take care of you and have your own adventure in your hometown.